Screen for telephones



July 3, 1928. 1,675,846

c. FISCHER SCREEN FOR TELEPHONES Filed Sept. l7,- 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY July 3, 1928. 1,675,846

' C. FISCHER SCREEN FOR TELEPHONES Filed Sept. 17, 1924 2 Sheets-Shet 2 ATTORNEY Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES CHARLES FISCHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SCREEN FOR TELEPHONES.

Application filed September 17, 1924. Serial No. 738,320.

My invention relates to a wire-frame telephone screen adapted to be covered by any suitable material, for example, silk, and more particularly to such a screen provided with wire clamps to be clamped to the telephone to be screened, said clamps being constructed so that they may be firmly secured to the wire frame without soldered or welded joints, thus eliminating the breakage due to the use of such joints.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a wire-frame telephone screen to be covered with a suitable fabric of any desired color or shade, the frame and cover although effectively screening the telephone from view when not in use, being shiftable, thus permitting ready access to the telephone without lifting the screen from the telephone.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a screen with a number of wire clamping members which are firmly secured to the wire frame of the screen, and whose clamping portions are constructed so as to yield when pressed against the telephone and permit the telephone to be easily yet tightly clamped.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the parts, improvements and combinations more fully pointed out hereinafter.'

Referring now to the drawings:

Figure 1, illustrates a front view of the screen, showing the telephone in place behind the screen.

Figure 2, is a top plan view on line 22 of Figure 1, looking down at the screen and telephone, the dotted linesshowing the position of the screen when turned to permit use of the telephone.

Figure 3, illustrates one of the wire clamps for clamping the screen to the telephone.

Figure 4, is a perspective view showing the screen and clamps without the telephone in place and with the cover for the screen removed, and

Figure 5, is a sectional side view of the screen and cover, on line 55 of Figure 2, showing the screen clamped to the telephone.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the telephone to be screened. The wire frame of the screen consists of the upper and lower cross bars 2, 3, which may be of any desired form, but which are preferably shaped so as to form the front and side cross bars for the frame, and the upright bars 4, 5. The wall thus formed partially surrounds the telephone stand sideways and can be shifted laterally when the telephone is to be used. Vertical bars 6, 7, mounted midway of the width of theframe and'horizontal cross-bar 8, mounted midway of the length of the frame, help to make the screen of rigid construction and form a support for the clamping members. The frame or wall is semi-cylindrical and its height is substantially that of the telephone The clamping members are each made in one piece, in the best embodiment of the invention. Each clamping member consists of two inwardly pro ecting arms 9, 10, which space the screen from the telephone and project inwardlybetween the top and bottom of the frame. One end of each arm is provided with a loop 11, 12, which loops encircle the vertical bars 6 7, extending lengthwise in the wire frame, the loops being connected by a cross-piece 13. A plate 14 is provided for each clamping member and has bent ends 15, 16. In the form of the invention illustrated, the end 15 of one plate receives the cross-piece 13 ofth-e arms of one clamping member and the end 16 fits tightly around the crossbar 8 of the frame. The bent end 15 of the other plate surrounds the cross-piece 13. of another clamping member and its other bent end 16, is attached to the cross-bar 3, forming the bottom of the screen. The provision of loops 11, 12, in the arms of the clamping members for engaging the vertical bars of the frame, and the plate 14 attached to each cross-piece of a clamping'member and to a cross-bar of the screen, constitute a firm supporting means for the clamping members. The

strain of supporting the clamping members .on the frame is thus distributed. This construction does away with soldered joints and the like and breaking of the clamping memher from the screen is less likely to occur. The two arms, 9, 10, of each of the clamplng members are widest apart at the point where they are attached, to the frame and converge as they project inwardly until they almost m'eet. Each arm is provided, at its inner end, with a bent portion 17, 18, having hooked ends, 19, 20. The bent portions of the arms, together with their hooked ends, form the clamping means, which receive and hold the telephone. The construction of these hooked end is such, see Figure 4, that it is not necessary to open the clamp by hand before the telephone can be clamped. The pressure of the telephone against the hooked ends of the clamp will cause them to yield, and the clamp will open outwardly and permit the telephone to enter the bent "loop-shaped portion of the clamp. After the telephone has thus entered the loopshaped portion, the hooked ends will return to substantially normal position and hold the screen tightly and frictionally clamped to the telephone, at the same time permitting the movement of the screen about the telephone.

Theconstruction of the arms of the clamping members, widest apart at the support ng end and nearest together at the clamping portion, permits the yielding action of the clamp, opening to receive the telephone, to be effected without undue strain on the clamping member.

The operation of the screen will now be described. The screen with its wire clamps is placed in front of the telephone and is pressed against the instrument. The hooked ends of the clamping members will yield and permit the clamp to open-outwardly sufficiently to allow the telephone to enter the loop-shaped portion of the clamp, after which the hooked ends will return to normal position and tightly clamp the screen to the telephone. When it is desired to use the telephone, the screen is turned sideways, in a direction opposite to the side of, the telephone on which the receiver is mounted, and the telephone is quickly and readily accessible. It is not necessary to remove the screen before using the telephone. After using the telephone, the screen is again turned back into place.

Having thus described the invention and its operation, it will be understood that changes ma be made in carrying the invention into e ect, without departing from the principle thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A shiftable screen for telephones comprising a semi-cylindrical wire wall having a front portion adapted to extend in front of the telephone stand, said wall extending sideways partially around the telephone stand, a plurality of wire clamping members with normally separated ends, and means for attaching the clamping members one above the other to said wall, said members spacing said .wall from the telephone stand and.

projecting inwardly from the wall, intermediate the top and bottom thereof, the clamping portions of said members being constructed so as to yieldingly engage the telephone stand.

2. A shiftable screen for telephones com-.

prising a wire frame wall having a vertical wire member extending across the front of the frame, said wire frame wall extending in front of and partially around the telephone vertical wire, the clamping portions of said member comprising wire arms with loopshaped normally separated ends which yield so as to open and engage the telephone stand."

3. A screen for telephones comprising a wire frame, a plurality of yielding clamping members, each member being composed of one piece and having two inwardly projecting arms, each arm separatedfrom the other, but the arms converging toward each other, one end of said clamping members constructed so as to form the clamping portion, the other end of said clamping members terminating in a cross-piece, and a plate at tached to said cross-piece and to said wire frame for securing the clamping members to the frame.

4. A screen for telephones comprising a wire frame, having top and bottom crossbars, a pair of wire members, one end of each member forming'a yielding clamping portion to receive the telephone, the other end of each member being provided with means for attaching it to the frame, two vertical bars mounted in and extending the entire length of said frame and across-bar mounted midway in said frame, means for securing one of said clamping members to said vertical bar and the central cross-bar, and means for securing the other clamping member to the vertical bars and the cross-bar forming the bottom of the frame.

5. A screen for telephones comprising a wire frame, a plurality of yielding clamping members, and vertical bars mounted in the front of saidframe to support the clamping members, one end of said members forming the clamping portion for the telephone, the other end of said members being provided with loops, said loops encircling the vertical bars of said frame.

6. A screen for telephones comprising a wire frame, a plurality of yielding clamping members, each member consisting of two arms, one separated from the other, said frame being provided with Vertical bars and cross bars for so porting the clamping members, one end of said members forming the clamping portion, the other end having loops which surround the vertical bars, a wire cross-piece connecting the arms of each clamping member, and a plate with bent upper and lower portions, one of said bent portions-receiving the cross-piece of said clamping members and the other secured to a cross-bar of the frame to secure the clamping member to said frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. I

CHARLES FISCHER. 

